Red Red Rose Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t even think I’d care if his face was the last thing I saw
before I went,” Cassie threw out there, earning another displeased scowl from
Will.
    “You’re
hopelessly pathetic.”
    She
drew open the sliding door on the back of the baked goods display and pulled
out one of the awful bran muffins, shoving it toward Will. “Here, just take
your muffin and quit trying to bring me down.”
    He
took the muffin with a roll of his eyes. “Don’t forget my smoothie.”
    “Extra
kale?” Cassie wrinkled her nose and he nodded.
    While
she was blending his smoothie, Will leaned closer over the counter. “You two
are like a bad episode of Gossip Girl.”
    “Hey,
don’t worry, I just got out of one disastrous relationship; I’m not looking to
jump into another. It’s just fun to imagine the possibilities.”
    This
time I got the scowl. “You’re as bad as she is; letting a pretty face distract
you.”
    I
snorted, “You’re one to talk. How many times have you taken advantage of your
pretty face and smile to charm an unsuspecting female?”
    His
mouth curled up at the corners in a sly grin he tried to hide by shoving a bit
of muffin in his mouth.
    “That’s
what I thought.”
    Cassie
returned with his fresh fruit and vegetable smoothie, and I took it from her,
holding it out to Will. “Take your super smoothie and your little jealous man
feelings and go sit down.”
    “Jealous
man feelings?” His eyebrows shot up, partly in amusement.
    I
chuckled. “Go. Sit.”
    “He’s
single, right?” Cassie asked, once he was out of earshot.
    I
gave her a look. “I don’t think you want to go there, Cass.”
    “Come
on,” she whined. “Pleeeease, you guys are friends. You gotta set me up.”
    “I
can feel him out for you, but in all the time that he’s been coming into the
shop,” which was the same amount of time I’d known him, “I haven’t known him to
have a steady girlfriend. He goes on lots of first dates, and a few second
dates, and even fewer third dates, but I don’t think it goes too much beyond
that.”
    “Why
do all the good looking ones have to have wandering dicks?”
    I
snorted. “Tell me about it.” A quick glance at the clock told me her shift was
almost over “You have class today?”
    Cassie
was in her junior year at Western on the road to becoming a social worker.
    “Just
one class today, but I have two papers to write over the weekend.”
    I
missed writing papers about as much as I missed Nathan. “Why don’t you do a
quick check of the bathrooms, and then as soon as Mitch gets here, you can take
off a little early.”
    With
a nod, she flitted off to the restrooms and I went to the register to check our
numbers for the day.
    “Hey
Danny,” I heard Cassie’s cheerful voice, and looked up to see our most loyal
customer coming in the door. He gave her a bashful wave before she ducked
inside the bathroom and then he claimed one of the fat cozy chairs in the
corner with his stuff before making his way over to me at the counter. I’d
already started on his drink, and couldn’t hear over the sound of the steamer
when he started to make small talk.
    “What
was that?” I asked once the milk was steamed.
    “I
asked how your day is going so far.”
    “Not
bad. I took the morning off so I haven’t been here long, but it looks like it
will be another busy day. You have lots of work to get done?”
    “Always.”
    I
snapped the lid on his cup and slid the sleeve over it before handing it to
him. “Anything else for ya?”
    “I’ll
try one of those strawberry strudels.”
    I
retrieved one from the case and slid it into a sleeve. “Do you want it warmed?”
    “Yes
please.”
    I
popped it in the small microwave for a few seconds.
    “Did
you know that strawberries aren’t actually berries at all?”
    I
gave him a curious look. “Really?”
    “Yes,
but bananas, kiwis, tomatoes, avocados, pomegranates and even watermelons are
all berries, which are any simple fruit stemming from a